KODIAK, Alaska – The Coast Guard Cutter Hickory terminated the voyage of the 43-foot Homer-based commercial fishing vessel Ambition due to safety issues following a boarding nine miles off of Sand Point Thursday.

A Coast Guard boarding team from the cutter found the vessel master operating with expired life raft servicing, expired hydrostatic release for the life raft, expired flares, missing registration for the vessel’s emergency position indicating radio beacon, no sound producing device and no charts or navigation reference materials. The vessel had an inoperable bilge high water alarm. Additionally, the crew had not conducted required drills or emergency training.

The Coast Guard requires commercial fishing vessels to have these items on board and to have them operational. Crew training and emergency drills are required monthly.

The vessel was safely escorted to Sand Point by the Hickory’s small boat crew. The Ambition’s crew will be required to correct the safety discrepancies and have their vessel looked at by the Coast Guard prior to getting underway again to fish.